Changes to the wind pattern due to climate change could cost an extra $47 billion USD in fuel, and an additional 4.6 million kg of CO2 emissions per year, for three flight paths between Hawaii and the western U.S.A. These changes could create a feedback loop as carbon emissions are expected to increase, causing further changes to established wind patterns, resulting in further changes to flight patterns.
The researcher analyzed daily flight data for three flights paths over 18 years and across four carriers. They found that each round-trip flight between Honolulu and one of three cities on the west coast took an extra 5.5 hours in flight time across all carriers studied.
Original research paper published in the Nature Climate Change on July 13, 2015.
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